Our Story

A vision for a place where women can feel safe, supported and able to rebuild.

The story of The Esther Project began in 2011, with a simple but powerful vision: to create a safe haven for women facing homelessness and adversity — somewhere they could find refuge, support and the opportunity to begin again.

The project was officially registered as a CIC in 2013 by our founder, Lianne Kirkman, but her journey towards making that vision a reality was not a straightforward one.

At the time, Lianne was working as a community support worker in Leamington Spa and was involved in establishing Helping Hands, supporting local people experiencing homelessness and hardship. At the end of 2013, Lianne experienced a significant mental health crisis of her own, forcing her to step away from her work and put her plans for The Esther Project on hold.

From £250 to a movement that changed thousands of lives

Following her recovery, an unexpected act of generosity helped set Lianne on a new path.

A local woman, Joanne Hartley, who had been running a project in Kenilworth also called Helping Hands, was emigrating and offered Lianne £250 and a storage unit filled with donations.

With the support of her husband and a small group of friends, Lianne established Helping Hands Community Project as a registered charity in 2015.

What began with £250 grew into an organisation that raised more than £2 million over the following nine and a half years, supporting thousands of local individuals and families affected by homelessness and hardship.

In recognition of its extraordinary community impact, Helping Hands was awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2024.

But throughout those years, Lianne never lost sight of the vision that had started it all.

Returning to Esther

Through years of working alongside people experiencing homelessness, trauma and adversity, Lianne saw an urgent need for something different for women.

A space created specifically for them.

A place where women could feel physically and emotionally safe. Where support recognised the impact of trauma. And where women could access the practical, emotional and specialist help they needed in an environment designed around their experiences.

In April 2023, Esther House opened under the Helping Hands umbrella as a pilot project, providing safe accommodation and holistic support for women.

The need — and the potential — quickly became clear.

In February 2024, a collective decision was made to separate Helping Hands and The Esther Project into two distinct organisations. Following the success of both projects, Lianne stepped down from her role as CEO of Helping Hands to return to her original vision and focus fully on developing The Esther Project.

The Esther Project today

Today, The Esther Project provides gender-specific, trauma-informed support for women experiencing domestic abuse, exploitation and other forms of adversity.

Our approach recognises that recovery looks different for every woman. We provide a safe and supportive environment where women can access a range of services, from accommodation and practical support to professional counselling, wellbeing programmes, skills development and opportunities to rebuild confidence and independence.

At the heart of everything we do is a belief that women should have the space, support and opportunity to recover, rebuild and thrive.

Looking to the future

Our vision continues to grow.

We want to expand gender-specific supported accommodation so that more women can access a safe place to live and the support they need to move forward.

Our longer-term vision also includes the development of Esther Retreat Farm — a peaceful rural space where women living with more complex trauma and needs can step away from the pressures of everyday life and access support in an environment designed for healing, connection and recovery.

What began as an idea in 2011 has become a growing community of women, supporters, volunteers and partners who believe in what is possible when women are given the right support.

Our story is still being written — one woman at a time.